1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sterilization apparatus and method. In particular, the present invention relates to a sterilization apparatus and method applicable where a cartridge in which sterilizing agent remains cannot be taken out of the sterilization apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In medical equipment such as syringe needles and surgical tools, there is a concern that pathogens may have been attached thereto after use and this may have an adverse effect on the human body. If the medical equipment is not sterilized after use, it cannot be reused. For this reason, there are sterilization apparatuses which perform a sterilization process on target objects requiring sterilization such as medical equipment.
As one of such sterilization apparatuses, a sterilization apparatus sterilizing an object using hydrogen peroxide as the sterilizing agent, and a sterilization method thereof have been proposed (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 08-505787).
However, there is a problem in a sterilization apparatus for performing a sterilization process on an object by sucking out an amount of sterilizing agent from a cartridge, in which there is an amount of sterilizing agent for performing a sterilization process a plurality of times. In particular, if the user takes out the cartridge with sterilizing agent remaining between a first sterilization process and a second sterilization process being performed, the remaining sterilizing agent may leak to the outside of the sterilization apparatus. If such a leak occurs, the user may unintentionally handle the harmful sterilizing agent (for example, a hydrogen peroxide solution).
Therefore, there is a concern that a user with no knowledge of how to handle the sterilizing agent (for example, a hydrogen peroxide solution) may cause leakage when taking out the sterilizing agent from the sterilization apparatus.
Further, in a case where there is not an amount of sterilizing agent for performing one sterilization process remaining within the cartridge but there is a small amount of sterilizing agent remaining, the sterilizing agent remaining within the cartridge must be disposed of. For example, in a case where the sterilizing agent is a hydrogen peroxide solution, since hydrogen peroxide is a chemical designated as a hazardous substance, there is a disposal cost.
Further, with a sterilizing agent (for example, a hydrogen peroxide solution) inside a cartridge, in a case where the sterilizing agent (for example, a hydrogen peroxide solution) is naturally decomposed after the manufacture of the cartridge and after a certain period of time has elapsed, a sufficient sterilization effect may not be obtained.
Further, in a case where once the use of the sterilizing agent (for example, a hydrogen peroxide solution) inside the cartridge is started, components that promote the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide may be mixed in or otherwise introduced. If the sterilizing agent is then used after a certain period of time has elapsed since the use of the cartridge has started, a sufficient sterilization effect may not be obtained.